This invention relates to golf clubs, and more particularly although not necessarily exclusively, to putters which are used in the game of golf to strike the ball along the surface of a green.
Golf is generally played on courses having eighteen or nine holes having “tees” at one end of the hole from which a ball is initially struck by a player, and a green provided with a hole therein at the alternate end. The tee and the green are separated by a fairway and the general principle behind the game of golf is to deposit the ball in the hole on the green with as few strikes of the ball as possible.
Putters may be used on the greens and on the fringes surrounding the greens to strike the golf ball towards the hole with the aim of depositing the ball in the hole. The hole is only of the order of 12 centimeters in diameter and when it is considered that putts, which term is commonly used to describe the strokes taken with a putter, may often be in excess of 12 meters (40 feet). It will be understood that great accuracy may be required to ensure that the resulting position of the ball after the stroke is at least proximate, if not within, the hole. In general, the distance of the ball from the hole is proportional to the likelihood that the putt will be missed, i.e. more putts will be required to deposit the ball in the hole.
It is well known in the game of golf that a significant element of the professional game is centered on putting, and poor putters of the ball rarely achieve successful results. Indeed the difference between the scorecards of players with equal “tee to green” ability, but different putting ability is immediately evident.
In order to strike a golf ball with a putter directionally accurately, a smooth unerring swing is required. In particular, it is generally believed that the arc along which the putter head travels as the same is taken away from the stationary ball during the “backswing,” the arc which the putter head follows as it is returned to the ball to strike same, and the arc followed thereby after the ball has been struck, i.e. follow through, are to be part of the same imaginary circle whose center is approximately between the shoulders of the golfer. Furthermore, the diameter of said circle in the direction that it is desired to strike the ball must be parallel to the plane containing the legs of the player. If this were not the case, the putting stroke of the player would either slice the ball at impact from above when viewed from above, or would push the ball from below. In any event, an undesirable component of velocity would be imparted to the ball at impact with the face. The only component of velocity ideally imparted to the ball at impact is in the desired striking direction. In this case the ball simply rolls in the direction in which it was struck.